Miscellaneous Pre-Thanksgiving Links

I'm still struggling with making blogging a priority -- struggling with the knowledge that there are resources which I'm finding that may be useful for others, but that time is limited, and that sharing these resources is not always the top priority of a day. It has been nice that this evening, the evening before Thanksgiving, I've had the chance to look at some sites a little more leisurely. Here are some interesting links I've found:

• Here are some posters that can be printed to assist with Google searches and Internet literacy lessons.
• Speaking of Google, they now host historic digital images from Life Magazine. There are many ways in which these could be used in the educational setting.
• The Internet has provided all of us access to immediate, first-hand primary source historical accounts to world events. This blog post shares what it was like being in Mumbai earlier today amidst the terrorist attacks. Not only do accounts like this help us better understand the global community in which we live (an important 21st century skill), but posts such as these can help us formulate a Christian response to those who are suffering and in need.
• Finally, I have been pointed to the absolutely hippest version of White Christmas. If you can't watch the live version and listen to this recorded version without smiling and tapping your feet, you might want to check and see if you still have a pulse!

Happy Thanksgiving to all readers of LutheranTech and their families! May God bless your celebration!

Search Queries

One thing which I have been reading about recently is how search queries are really an open door to the mind of the searcher in showing what is important to him/her. I became intrigued by this topic while reading Click: What Millions of People are Doing Online and Why it Matters, by Bill Tancer. Tancer works for Hitwise, a company which tracks website hits and trends for commercial customers. In this role, Tancer has the charge of making sense of data and trends which result via search. What really got me thinking was his contention that our search queries are really an insight into the mind of the user at any given time, and how the collective search queries and trends show our concerns and vanities as a people.

If our search requests are truly an insight into our minds, what would my search requests say about me? What would yours say about you? What would the queries of our students say about them? Do they reflect an obsession with a temporal world which will pass away, or would they show a focus on what is most important, our faith in Jesus Christ? What if we were to track our search queries over the course of a month? Three months? A year? Would God be glorified? Would the simple knowledge that our queries were being tracked change our behavior? Should it?

The first 21st century skill identified by Shepherd of the Hills Christian School this year is that we want our students to have the ability to use technology in God-pleasing ways for ministry and personal productivity, and in keeping with good digital citizenship practices. Perhaps one of the ways we can instill this idea in our students is by talking about search queries and what they are saying about us, helping us to remember that our search is never truly anonymous. Even if our requests are not tracked online, we know that they cannot be hidden from our Lord.

May God bless our use of the tools which He has granted us so that our searches may better prepare us to serve Him in all ways.

Election Day Links List

Here is a list of online sites and resources I've discovered recently -- sites which may be of interest to other educators:

• Cool Text creates free logos and graphics for websites. Perfect for those on a tight budget.
• An article on a new study linking video-game violence with real-world violence.
• I found a blogging rubric which I can adapt to better meet my needs with my students.
• I know that not many other Lutheran school teachers use Twitter, but TweetWheel is an interesting site which identifies which of your contacts already know each other. The site processes a fascinating graphic showing connections we have with each other.
• I wish I could take more time to learn about all that is available through WikiEducator and Web 2.0 Guru. I'm sure there is much more I could learn through these sites by investing the time. I'd be interested in hearing about the experiences of others with links or resources from these sites.
• I guessing that everyone can find something they could use with students at Educational Freeware.
• Here is an article which discusses technology's impact on the brain. I might have to see if the book mentioned in the article is available at the local library.

Happy Reformation Day!

Three Electoral College Resources